


Greater Good

by Skimmers



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, The Handmaid's Tale (TV), The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dystopia, F/M, Parents Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, References to The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-08-10 01:01:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20126770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skimmers/pseuds/Skimmers
Summary: Dystopian tale inspired by The Handmaid's Tale and Star Wars.  With a fertility crisis around the globe and political leaders doing nothing to stop it, a political fringe group mounts a coup and seizes control of the US by force.  Single, fertile women are rounded up to serve as either wives or surrogates.Fear gripped Rey as she rushed to her window and looked out onto the downtown Seattle city streets already filled with people heading to the march.  Suddenly, a crimson fire ball erupted along the parade route by the Seattle City Hall and Municipal Court buildings.  Rey felt the blast slam into her window, rattling the glass, as she stepped back in shock.  The fire ball mushroomed in size and morphed into a huge black cloud rising several stories high and more than a city block wide.  Craning her neck, she observed glass from less protected windows littering near-by streets.As she watched the black cloud engulf several streets as it rolled downhill to the Seattle waterfront, activity several docks away from the black cloud caught her eye.  Multiple black military looking HUMVEE-like vehicles left the docks and headed up Madison, Marion, and Columbia into the downtown core.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to the amazing LostInQueue for beta reading this story! Your insight and suggestions are invaluable!  
Comments are greatly appreciated!

Chapter 1

Rey dashed around their cozy apartment packing the diaper bag for her six-month-old daughter Elizabeth before they joined the Women’s’ Rights march. In the background for white noise, male news commentators groused about yesterday’s Congressional vote prohibiting women from working outside the home and the subsequent protests throughout the country. The bill’s Congressional supporters argued before the floor vote it was the only way to increase the abysmal birth rate as prior efforts to address it had failed.

As she double checked the diaper bag held all the baby essentials for their day out on the unseasonably cool and wet August day, a breaking news banner caught Rey’s eye. She turned towards the TV and froze in disbelief. Scenes from Washington, D.C. and New York City, filled the screen. Bodies of multiple politicians, mowed down by gunfire, lay where they fell in the blood-soaked streets of DC. Black billowing clouds marred the bright blue sky, red and orange flames added color to the otherwise bleak remains of destroyed landmarks. The New York feed evoked memories of the 9/11 attacks, smoke and ash clouds rose above the city while people ran for the lives, a mass exodus of bodies clogged streets normally overrun with vehicles. Rey tuned out the commentators as she struggled to comprehend the images on the screen.

Quickly checking Elizabeth was still happily playing on her blanket and unable to see the disturbing images on the TV, Rey turned the volume up slightly. A commentator informed viewers multiple attacks on DC had killed everyone present in the Senate, House, even the White House. Whether politicians, their staffers, or lowly paid workers just trying to eke out an existence for their families, everyone had been either shot or killed by one of the multiple bombs that tore apart the capital. With a voice on the verge of tears, the commentator shared that with the President and Vice President murdered and the numerous assassinations throughout DC politics, no one knew who was in charge.

_The US government no longer existed. _ Rey froze at the enormity of what that meant, both for those in DC caught up in the melee and everyone throughout the country. Who was in charge when the entire line of succession, the continuity of government hierarchy, was eliminated in one fell swoop? Rey felt herself start to hyperventilate as she wondered what would happen on the West Coast. She never questioned for a moment that something, something horrific, would happen on the West Coast. The only questions were when, where, and what. The news anchor interrupted Rey’s burgeoning panic attack with an update on the New York attack—the death toll already exceeded the 9/11 attack on the twin towers and the full extent of casualties was not yet known. No group had yet claimed responsibility. _That was not good,_ Rey thought. _That was not good at all._

Fear gripped Rey as she rushed to her window and looked out onto the downtown Seattle city streets already filled with people heading to the march. Suddenly, a crimson fire ball erupted along the parade route by the Seattle City Hall and Municipal Court buildings. Rey felt the blast slam into her window, rattling the glass, as she stepped back in shock. The fire ball mushroomed in size and morphed into a huge black cloud rising several stories high and more than a city block wide. Craning her neck, she observed glass from less protected windows littering near-by streets.

Too shocked to scream, she helplessly watched the black cloud grow exponentially before rolling down the streets toward the waterfront. Horror consumed her as she thought of the thousands of people marching for women’s rights—how many of them survived? Had Rose arrived? _Oh, no,_ Rey thought, realizing that even if her friend Rose had not yet arrived, Rose’s sister Paige got there early as one of the key organizers and was at the heart of the explosion. Unable to fathom how Paige survived the initial blast, Rey hoped and prayed for everyone who gave up their Saturday to march in support of women’s rights, a basic tenant of civilized society becoming more and more scarce in the current political environment.

As she watched the black cloud engulf several streets as it rolled downhill to the Seattle waterfront, activity several docks away from the black cloud caught her eye. Multiple black military looking HUMVEE-like vehicles left the docks and headed up Madison, Marion, and Columbia into the downtown core. Looking closer, Rey saw the vehicles were large, black SUVs with no insignia to denote which government entity or law enforcement they were with. Without warning, the TV screen switched to a “no signal available” message. Frantically grabbing the remote and flipping through the channels, Rey could not find any transmitting. Grabbing her cell phone, Rey saw there was no service—in a spot where every provider had excellent reception. Rey quickly grabbed the radio alarm clock by the bed and tuned into a local station. Before the radio personality finished a complete sentence, gun shots and screams blared from the radio before it became deathly silent. Suddenly, Rey realized this was not a mere terrorist attack. None of the international terrorist groups US politicians portrayed as the boogeyman had the infrastructure or funding to carry out such an organized attack on multiple US cities spanning both coasts. This was something else, something far worse. Seattle was under siege and no longer safe.

Anxiously looking around the apartment, Rey quickly ran through scenarios in her head. With her six-month-old daughter, walking was not a practical means of escape. Her vehicle was in the underground parking garage and, under the best of circumstances, it took five minutes before she would be driving on Seattle city streets. Rey had no idea how long it would take with other residents frantically trying to escape the garage at the same time, or if she even could escape in a vehicle with the black SUVs taking over the streets. As she looked out her window again and saw the black vehicles spreading throughout the city streets like an infectious virus, Rey decide she and Elizabeth needed to leave now, while they still could. As much as she detested it, her choices were limited to walking or bringing the stroller. Wearing Elizabeth in the baby carrier allowed Rey to blend in easier but not carry much. Taking her BOB stroller made her stand out but allowed her to carry more. Rey weighed the competing objectives of blending in and minimizing the risk of being stopped with wanting to bring as many diapers and baby supplies as possible. 

Trying to determine the lesser of two bad options, Rey quickly put on the baby carrier and strapped Elizabeth in rather than risk the unwanted attention and hassle of a large stroller. The comfort of her daughter snuggled safely on her chest an added bonus with safety in short supply. Rey donned her waterproof jacket, zipped it around the carrier, and grabbed her backpack diaper bag as she rushed to the stairs.

As she emerged from the building stairwell into the alleyway, Rey saw several black SUVs drive past on the main street. Fortunately, the multitudes flocking to the sidewalks obstructed the view of any SUV passenger who may have been looking into the alley. Rey noted the SUVs were easily going thirty-five mph or more, their speed making it even harder see through the crowds on the sidewalk and spot her in the alley. She noted she would have to watch the volume of pedestrian traffic; she wanted to blend into a small crowd, not stand out as being on her own or part of a larger crowd that may be a target.

_Which way to go, which way to go?_ Rey pondered as she started walking down the alley. Quickly thinking back to what she saw, the vehicles all left the ports and immediately headed straight uphill. Not a single black SUV left the port and turned right or left. Hoping that was still the case, Rey headed north to the Elliott Bay Trail intending to follow that as far as she could. Heck, maybe the heavens would align, and she could find a boat along the waterfront to take her and Elizabeth away from whatever the hell was going on. She tried not to listen to the voice telling her that today the heavens would not align for anyone in Seattle; hell had come to town and was not planning to leave anytime soon.

At the corner, Rey did her best to flatten herself against the building with a baby on her front and the diaper bag on her back. Cautiously peeking her head around the building corner, she looked up and down the main street, intuition telling her it would be very bad if any of the black SUVs spotted her. As she leaned further out from the safety of the alley, Rey saw a black SUV driving up the street straight towards her. Rey discreetly pivoted, turning her back to the black SUV as it drove past the alleyway.

After the vehicle passed, Rey heard it stop a block or so ahead. She counted to ten and cautiously looked out again. Additional black vehicles drove through the intersection heading towards her apartment building, and from the sound of brakes, stopped in front of it. As she continued to watch the SUVs parked a block ahead of her, Rey observed armed men dressed in all black fatigues leave the vehicles to grab and throw women into the SUVs, some kicking and screaming the whole way. _So much for the invading vehicles keeping to heading east_, Rey lamented. She did not linger on the men rounding up women, only women; she had not seen a single male grabbed by the men in black. Rey decided to ponder that later; right now, she had to get herself and Elizabeth to safety. She could alter her plan, but where else could she go? The Elliott Bay Trail was away from the downtown core where most black SUVs were heading, and it offered pedestrian-only access at some points. It may not be ideal, but Rey did not see any better options available.

Before continuing on this perilous journey, Rey softly told Elizabeth how much she loved her. After witnessing the attacks on DC and NYC, the death of who knows how many people at the local march, and the unknown purpose of the black SUVs in Seattle, Rey would not miss any opportunity to tell her daughter how much she loved her. _Tomorrow was not guaranteed, or even the next hour_, Rey thought as memories of Paige filled her mind. Taking a deep breath, Rey vowed to mourn Paige, and all those lost, later. Right now, she had to get her child to safety, that was her ultimate duty as a mother. Thankfully, Elizabeth was a great sleeper who loved being in the Ergo; she was already settling in for her afternoon nap and wouldn’t attract unwanted attention by being fussy. After hearing the SUVs a block ahead of her drive off, Rey cautiously peeked out from the alley. Seeing no black SUVs or men in black, she clasped her hands around Elizabeth and jogged across the main street into the next alley.

Rey continued her strategy of “peek around the corner, then sprint across the main street” to make it another six blocks before she saw a black SUV pass her. Rey heard the SUV screech to a halt, and multiple pairs of boots hit the ground. _Please do not come this way_, Rey pleaded to any higher power that might be listening. Suddenly, the sound of gunfire rent the air. Rey stopped breathing as the sounds of screams, some abruptly cut off, joined the sounds of bullets hitting buildings. Rey slowly backtracked to a little alcove in the alleyway. She covered Elizabeth’s ears and, with Elizabeth snuggled on her chest in the carrier, started softly singing lullabies in hopes the vibration would calm Elizabeth even if she could not hear her mother’s voice. _Please do not cry, baby girl_, Rey frantically prayed, _please do not cry!_

Rey crouched in the alcove and waited for the gunfire to stop. When the shooting ceased, she waited for the screaming to stop. Rey continued to wait, scared of being caught if she left her little sanctuary. She was not sure what being caught entailed, but she knew she did not want to find out. Rey was not sure how long it took to talk herself into continuing to move; she knew she had to move, or it was inevitable she and Elizabeth would be discovered_. Like Brad Pitt said, “Movement is life,”_ Rey reminisced, knowing she needed to move but temporarily immobilized by fear_. _She heard people shot to death; she did not want herself and Elizabeth to suffer that same fate. _But the odds are greater that is exactly what will happen if you stay here, so MOVE!_ Rey told herself as she slowly stood up and peeked out from the alleyway.

Taking a deep breath, and saying a quick prayer, Rey walked quickly across the main street to the next alleyway, despite her fear of being seen. It was now or never, and her helpless daughter was counting on Rey to protect her, even when Rey did not know what she was protecting her from. Shaking off her nerves, Rey started to jog in the alleyways, stopping at each block to make sure it was safe before she darted across the street. After three blocks, Rey heard multiple vehicles sped up the surrounding streets and screech to a stop all around her while sporadic gunfire pierced the air. On instinct, Rey lifted the top of the industrial-sized recycling bin next to her and, using a forgotten crate as a step stool, climbed in and shut the lid. Her sleeping daughter continued slumbering. Rey was thankful the recycling bin, while the size of a commercial trash dumpster, did not smell like one. _That’s Seattle for you_, Rey thought, _even businesses recycle more than they throw away_.

Focused on keeping her breathing steady to avoid a panic attack and unable to see into the alley from her dark hiding spot, Rey listened for any sound to indicate what was going on outside. Straining her ears, over the soft patter of raindrops falling on the recycling container lid, Rey heard distant footsteps become louder and morph into a distinct marching pattern as they drew closer. With trepidation, Rey realized the steps were coming down the alley. The sound of marching boots grew louder and louder, drowning out the sound of falling raindrops. Praying Elizabeth stayed asleep and quiet, Rey held her breath to avoid making any sound, even inadvertently.

“Unit G checking in, alleyway is clear, no sign of any civilians. Proceeding to next block,” a sharp male voice barked as the boots marched away from Rey’s hiding spot. She slowly allowed herself shallow breaths to avoid passing out as she intently listened to the footsteps fade away and the patter of raindrops became the only external sound. _What to do, what to do_, Rey fretted. Whether out of fear or common sense, Rey decided it was safest to wait awhile inside the dark recycling bin. She told herself it allowed time for the shooting to cease and whomever was searching the alley to get farther away so they would not see her leave her hiding spot or where she went next. Rey knew she was paralyzed by fear, too afraid to leave her hiding spot just yet.

While she waited out whomever was searching on foot, Rey contemplated her options. She could continue along her current alleyway path, but was it still safe given men in black were now marching through alleys? Would she be equally safe on the main sidewalks, taking a more direct but exposed route to the waterfront? Going through the downtown Seattle landscape in her head, Rey decided the safest route was to take the alleyways a little longer and then a main street down to the Elliott Bay Trail.

Having decided where to go, Rey debated when. As more gunfire ripped through the air, Rey quickly settled on waiting until it had been awhile without any gunfire. While none of the women Rey saw rounded up had kids with them, she was terrified they might take Elizabeth from her if she were caught. How could she protect her daughter if Elizabeth were ripped from her arms? Rey felt herself start to hyperventilate at the thought of what might happen to either of them if they were caught and separated. Another burst of gunfire aggravated Rey’s stress, and she restarted her unofficial countdown.

After what felt like fifteen minutes since the last burst of gunfire, but could easily have been an hour or more, Rey decided it was time to leave the safety of her dark hidey-hole. Rey slowly, being careful not to make any noise and draw unwanted attention, lifted the lid and crawled out of the recycling bin. Much easier said than done while wearing an infant and not waking the sleeping angel. Rey said another silent prayer her daughter was an excellent sleeper, just in case any higher power were listening. Rey squeezed herself into the space between the side of the recycling bin and the building and cautiously peeked out to verify the alleyway was indeed vacant of other people. To her relief, she did not see so much as a stray cat. _Even stray cats recognized the danger and are hiding from it_, Rey noted.

Rey continued her nerve-wracking stroll through the alleys for two more blocks before turning onto a main street and heading to the waterfront. Staying alert for any sound, Rey noted she only heard and saw a smattering of pedestrians on the streets now, far fewer than she saw earlier. _So much for the plan of blending into a small crowd to appear part of a group_, Rey thought, while simultaneously being thankful it was now raining hard enough to justify using her hood which further hid Elizabeth in her baby carrier.

Slowly, or so it felt to Rey even though she knew she was making great time for having Elizabeth with her, Rey arrived at the Elliot Bay Trail along the waterfront. Rey breathed a sigh of relief before she started speed walking on the trail, thankful Seattle paved the trail for bicyclists. Occasionally someone jostled her as people walked and ran in both directions, some trying to escape the city, others heading into the city – likely trying to get to loved ones still there. Staying alert without attracting attention to herself, Rey continued to closely observe her surroundings. Not a police officer or law enforcement vehicle was visible anywhere, but she did see a black SUV every few minutes. Some were parked in the vicinity, others drove by on the nearby streets. When someone bumped Rey hard enough to spin her around, she watched five men dressed in all black exit a black SUV a few blocks behind her. As they started patrolling the sidewalk, Rey observed assault rifles slung over their shoulders. Rey quickly turned around, not wanting to waste time staring, and continued in her original direction. While they were not yet firing the assault rifles, she expected they soon would be and did not want to stick around for that.

As Rey followed the Elliott Bay Trail past the aquarium and Ivar’s, she remembered taking Elizabeth to see the octopus on a play date with another mom and her toddler son. With so few babies being born, Rey did not have the luxury of play dates with moms who had babies closer to Elizabeth’s age. Rey’s thoughts strayed to thoughts of the sea creatures housed in the aquarium and their fat as she continued to hustle past the waterfront hotels on her way to Myrtle Edwards park. She approached the park as the sun began to set. She must have either hid longer than she thought, or the walk took longer than she expected. Or maybe both. Regardless, Elizabeth would be waking up at any moment. Rey casually looked around, trying not to be conspicuous as the crowd had thinned out. Rey observed one guy in all black pacing around the trail along the park’s waterfront. _So much for that plan_, Rey thought, wanting to avoid any guy in black. Suddenly, screeching brakes behind her grabbed Rey’s attention, causing the hair on her arms to stand up. Without turning around to look at the source of the noise, Rey started walking toward the steps to Elliott Avenue, away from the waterfront trail to her left and the screeching brakes behind her. If she were not distracted by the quickly approaching sounds of footsteps that sounded too military to be fellow escapees, Rey would have enjoyed the setting sun painting the sky shades of purple, pink, and orange. _It’s pretty enough for a postcard_, Rey observed, appreciating Mother Nature’s momentary distraction from the day’s traumatic events. Briskly walking, Rey noted she was the only civilian around, no one else was trying to escape the city using her chosen path. Out of the corner of her eye, Rey saw the pacing guy in black start walking towards her and heard multiple pairs of marching footsteps behind her. _Well_, Rey griped, _that did not take them very long to exit the vehicle and head for me_.

“STOP!” Yelled a deep male voice behind her. Pretending she either did not hear or thought it was not directed at her, Rey continued her brisk pace. Elizabeth continued to sleep peacefully, Rey was unsure how much longer that would last.

“Lady with the baby! Stop! NOW!!!!” the voice thundered. _So much for pretending that was not directed at me_, Rey grumbled. Gauging her distance to Elliott Avenue, Rey debated whether to flat out run towards it.

“Stop or I will shoot!” the voice thundered again, stopping Rey dead in her tracks. She might have been willing to risk her life in the name of freedom, but it stopped being about what she wanted the moment she saw the positive pregnancy test. She would not, could not, risk her daughter’s life for anything, especially nothing as selfish as her freedom. Elizabeth, not appreciating being jostled from her nap, began to cry.

Rey froze, afraid if she made any movement, she and her daughter would be shot. Over the sound of Elizabeth’s cries, Rey heard the screech of tires suddenly stopping, car doors slamming, and thudding footsteps approaching from her right. _Really_? Rey questioned. _Reinforcements for a single mother and a baby? Is that really necessary?_

“Lady! Hands up! Slowly turn around!” the voice ordered, sounding young enough to still be in high school. As she put her hands up in the air and slowly turned around, Rey saw several more guys in black running towards the one barking orders and pointing an assault rifle at her and Elizabeth. 

“Get down on your knees—“ the tallest guy rushed the one barking orders and body slammed him into the ground, what looked to be a cape billowed out behind him as he moved like a carnivore pouncing on its prey.

Rey fell forward, knees hitting the ground and hands still in the air, as she watched the scene play out. She hoped the violence she just witnessed would not soon be visited upon her and Elizabeth. A sudden wind gust blew the hood of Rey’s jacket off her head and loosened the belt keeping her jacket closed. Without the hood or closed jacket protecting her from the rain and wind, Elizabeth amped up her cries in frustration at both her nap ending and the cool, wet weather.

As she watched the caped guy stand up and turn around, Rey felt as though she had jumped into the frigid Puget Sound. She gasped as the air rushed from her lungs and fell back on her heels, arms falling down as she wrapped them protectively around her daughter. _It is not possible, it cannot be!_ She had searched for him relentlessly without success. And yet, there he was, his towering height slowly approaching her with a new military precision march while she gawked in disbelief.

When she first found out she was pregnant, she had reached out to her ex-boyfriend only to find he had disappeared without a trace. Rey even had a friend at the university do her a favor and check what contact info they had on file for their former post-doc fellow, but the school had the same invalid contact info she did. She scoured the web but could not find any leads. Ben Solo had disappeared as though he never existed. Now he stood before her, all 6’3” of him towering over her, her and their daughter he had never met.

“Commander Kylo Ren!” a shorter guy in black called out as he rushed up. “We have found the woman as you ordered, sir.”

_Kylo Ren?_ It took a moment for Rey to realize the guy was addressing her Ben by another name. _Ben Solo is going by Kylo Ren now? Well, at least that explains why the search for Ben Solo went nowhere,_ Rey thought to herself finding it easier to focus on what was literally standing in front of her rather than the life changing events of the day.

“Yes,” Ben replied with blatant annoyance as he turned to face the short guy, “I saw on my arrival that my explicit orders not to even _display_ any lethal weapons were completely disregarded. Is that how you train your men, _Captain_?”

“Sir, no sir!” short guy replied with a salute, to Rey’s amusement.

Despite having his back to her, Rey knew from his tone that Ben was giving the guy the death stare he gave every undergrad that annoyed him with their stupidity. She would laugh if the situation were not so surreal, and possibly life threatening given the presence of lethal weapons.

“What should be done with the woman, sir?” short guy asked, which Rey did not find amusing.

“The _lady_,” Ben informed him in a tone acidic enough to cause burns, “is my concern, not yours. Continue with your primary orders.”

“Yes, sir!” the short guy nearly shouted with a crisp salute before he turned on his heel and marched away.

Rey, still sitting back on her heels and comforting her crying daughter, slowly looked up and into her ex-boyfriend’s dark brown eyes gazing down at her. Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled over—the events of the day, her daughter being upset, fear of what was going on, and now seeing the father of her child when she had given up hope over a year earlier, it was too much for her to take.

Ben extended a gloved hand to her, “Come with me, we have much to talk about.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback to when Rey and Ben first meet in the hallowed halls of higher education.
> 
> Rey drank in Dr. Ben Solo’s warm smile and well-sculpted upper body. While she interacted with a lot of guys in the heavily male dominated engineering school, none of them had captured her attention. Then again, she’d never met a fellow engineer who could fill out a shirt like Dr. Solo. Judging by the gleam in his eyes as he met hers and the way his full lips turned up on the left side in a smile, the interest was mutual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my amazing beta, LostInQueue! Also, thank you to my technical experts, tokis-aquarium and lar5957.

22 Months Earlier

Rey hurriedly tapped away at the keyboard, finishing the data calculations and computer modeling for her mechatronics capstone project. Technically, it was a group project with her friends, fellow mechanical engineering major Rose Tico and electrical engineering major Finnegan Wilson. The three had met as freshmen engineering students when they were all assigned to the same quiz group for a large lecture course. Throughout their undergrad years, they had grown closer, commiserating on the demands and stress of majoring in engineering and taking classes together whenever they could. Rey and Rose had been roommates since their sophomore year. The mechatronics project was her baby. Her good friends agreed to help with the project knowing Rey needed their contributions, and the capstone course fulfilled an engineering elective for them.

The missing role on the project was computer programming. Falling outside the engineering field, computer programming help from someone not on the project was allowed. Her advisor, Professor Kensington, offered to help find the needed computer programming expertise. All Rey had to do was finish the data calculations and computer modeling her professor needed to recruit programming help. Which was how she found herself slaving away at the beginning of the fall quarter for a project not being reviewed until late May. With a sigh of relief as she finished transferring all necessary documents to a flash drive, Rey grabbed it and set off in search of Professor Kensington. The sooner she handed off the drive, the sooner she would have the computer programming help she needed, and the sooner she could build the robot with time to test it and correct any flaws before the project review.

A few minutes later, Rey ran into Professor Kensington on the second floor of the engineering building. “Here are all the data calculations and computer modeling,” Rey declared excitedly, handing her professor the flash drive.

“Professor Kensington,” another professor greeted, walking down the hall alongside a raven-haired man taller than anyone Rey had previously met. Most likely a grad student Rey quickly surmised as she took in his chestnut eyes and his collar-length locks, her interest piqued. “I want to introduce you to Dr. Ben Solo, he’s a postdoc in the computer science department. I shared the mechatronics capstone project with him and he agreed to help with the computer programming we previously discussed.”

Rey drank in Dr. Ben Solo’s warm smile and well-sculpted upper body. While she interacted with a lot of guys in the heavily male dominated engineering school, none of them had captured her attention. Then again, she’d never met a fellow engineer who could fill out a shirt like Dr. Solo. Judging by the gleam in his eyes as he met hers and the way his full lips turned up on the left side in a smile, the interest was mutual.

“Dr. Solo!” Professor Kensington greeted him, extending her hand to shake his and causing him to break his eye contact with Rey. “I’ve heard about your pioneering work and appreciate you helping out on the project! Let me introduce you to one of my star students, Rey Whittaker. Previously, she worked on the African well project and was responsible for the new drill bit design used on that project. Boeing is funding her mechatronics project to build a robot for NASA that can navigate the surface of other planets and take samples for research.”

“Rey,” Dr. Solo greeted her with a strong handshake and warm smile as he again focused on her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Your project sounds intriguing. I would like to hear more about it when you have time.”

Rey found herself returning his smile, not wanting to look away from his penetrating gaze as she withdrew from his handshake before anyone noticed her hand lingering in his firm hold. “I would love to discuss the mechatronics project! Unfortunately,” Rey continued, glancing down at her phone, “it’ll have to be another time as I have to run to my next class.”

Dr. Solo continued to watch Rey as she hustled down the hall, hurrying to class. Sensing she was being watched, Rey glanced over her shoulder. Catching the handsome Dr. Solo watching her, she smiled at him before turning a corner and losing sight of him.

As he lost sight of Rey, Ben turned his attention back to his colleague’s conversation. It was not often a student, especially an undergrad, impressed him. From what the faculty had shared about Rey’s prior engineering accomplishments and her current project, she was quite extraordinary.

******

Later that morning, Rey hustled through the corridors as she glanced at her phone to check the time. 10:50am. With an energy drink to stay alert, she could get in three solid hours of studying before her afternoon class. _Thank goodness the building has air conditioning with the Indian Summer lasting into October,_ Rey thought. _If I didn’t already believe in climate change, experiencing summer highs in October would definitely sell me on it. _Rey picked up her pace as she continued down the hall when she unexpectedly collided with a brick wall. Or rather, bounced off the muscular chest of a very tall man who unexpectedly came around the corner into her path.

“Dr. Solo!” Rey exclaimed as he grabbed her forearms to stop her from falling to the floor, his biceps stretching his shirt with the effort. _Damn, he is as strong as he looks, _Rey noted, wondering if he had six pack abs to go with strong upper body.

“Rey,” he replied with a smile, as she regained her balance and he let go. “Please, call me Ben. Dr. Solo is too formal for a fellow academic. Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Rey nearly stuttered, his question pulling her away from staring at his lips as she looked down at her spilled energy drink. “I am okay. My energy drink, not so much.”

“An energy drink for lunch?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. 

“It gets me through the next three hours of research for the project.” Rey replied with a shrug of her shoulders, too embarrassed to admit she could not afford to each lunch on-campus every day.

“I have a better idea,” Ben offered, his look of concern morphing into a determined smile. “Join me for lunch, a real lunch, and tell me more about your project.”

“A real lunch?” Rey asked apprehensively.

“Yes,” Ben chuckled, quickly catching on that Rey may be one of the many students struggling to cover tuition and scrimped on her food budget out of necessity. “A real lunch. As in off campus, sitting down at a table. I know a great little restaurant we can walk to. My treat.”

Before Rey could reply, her stomach growled loudly, an answer of its own.

Ben lightly chuckled, wanting Rey to retain her dignity while ensuring she ate well. “That settles it. I’m treating you to lunch. You’re hungry and need to eat real food, not liquid caffeine.”

*****

Rey tried not to openly gawk as she stared at the hand painted murals of Italian landscapes on the restaurant walls while the air conditioning lightly tickled her arms, providing a welcome relief from the heat. Ben silently observed Rey’s astonishment as she took in the murals, dark wood décor, and soft lighting in the cozy restaurant. When they reached their two-person table, he pulled out her chair and, after she delicately lowered herself onto the plush seat, pushed the heavy solid wood chair in.

“What do you think?” Ben asked her, genuinely curious as to what she thought of the restaurant.

“It’s…” Rey began, continuing to look around in awe, “amazing. I’ve never seen anything like the hand-painted murals on the walls! Even this chair—it must be solid wood! I’ve never been in a restaurant with chairs so heavy!”

“Great food, great atmosphere, it’s the whole package,” Ben agreed, unable to stop smiling as he watched Rey take in everything with the wonder of someone experiencing it for the first time. Rey continued to look all over the restaurant, taking in every detail, until the waiter arrived and handed them menus.

“Why did you agree to help with my project before you saw any details?” Rey asked as she perused the menu.

“Honestly?” Ben queried, looking up from his menu and meeting her eyes. Seeing a look of genuine curiosity, he replied truthfully. “I was hooked the minute Professor Kensington said NASA. Being a part of a project NASA is sending into space is the next best thing to my childhood fantasy of walking on the moon.”

“You wanted to go to the moon?” Rey asked with sincere interest as she put down her menu to give him her undivided attention.

“I did,” Ben confirmed, “in between wanting to be a fireman and creating a cupcake maker.”

“A cupcake maker?” Rey giggled, her eyes lighting up with her smile.

“Yes, I loved cupcakes as a little boy. I was quite obsessed with creating a machine that would instantly produce cupcakes, any cupcake you could want.”

“How did that work out?”

“Not very well since I’m in computer science and not an engineer!” Ben chuckled.

As Rey laughed merrily at his self-deprecating comment, Ben noted she looked radiant when she laughed and intuitively returned her smile. “You’re funny! I don’t think I’ve ever met a computer science guy who was actually funny…”

“Yeah, I pretty much break the mold,” Ben acknowledged, with a shrug of his shoulders. “Although, I’ve heard the same about you.”

Before Rey could respond, their waiter arrived to take their orders. “Um…you order first,” Rey uttered as she grabbed her menu and frantically scanned it. To her chagrin, the dishes had Italian names preventing her from ordering quickly so she and Ben could keep talking. Instead, she was trying to speed read through the description of every dish on the menu to figure out what to order.

“I eat here a lot, tell me what you like and I can suggest a dish that will blow your mind.” Ben offered, seeing Rey looked stressed.

“Errr…” Rey uttered, still frantically scanning the menu.

“Meat, seafood, or vegetarian?” Ben prompted.

“Seafood?” Rey said plaintively, not wanting to admit her idea of seafood was whatever canned tuna was on sale. While Seattle had a lot of native Northwest and Alaskan seafood options, Rey’s budget made fish and chips from Ivar’s a splurge.

Ben reached across the table and grabbed her hand, “It’s lunch, Rey, not the GRE. Every dish is superb and you will love it. Try the fettucine al granchino if you like pasta or risotto all’aragosta if you prefer rice. They also have an excellent Chilean sea bass that rivals the best seafood restaurants.”

“Oh, well, I guess I should have pasta at an Italian restaurant, so I’ll try the fettucine al…” Rey began, looking at Ben when she wasn’t sure how to pronounce the dish.

“She’ll have the fettucine al granchino,” Ben confidently told the waiter, as he let go of her hand to grab her menu which he handed to the waiter.

“Thank you,” Rey told the waiter with a smile before he left. _She’s well-mannered and considerate on top of being smart,_ Ben observed appreciatively.

“And thank you,” Rey told Ben. “I had no idea what the Italian names on the menu meant and felt like a fool for not figuring out what I wanted to eat before the waiter came to take our order.”

“I highly doubt most of their patrons are fluent in Italian so I don’t think the waiter thought twice about it,” Ben pointed out, before adding with a wink, “I’ll leave a big tip, just in case.”

Seeing Rey’s candid smile at his comment had Ben thinking a large tip was a bargain to see her happy.

“Thank you,” Rey softly said as she reached across the table to pat his hand.

“Your professor mentioned you created a new drill bit?” Ben asked to change the subject, worried she might ask why he was staring at her or grinning like a fool.

“Yes!” Rey eagerly replied, her joy at discussing her past engineering project not lost on Ben. “The engineering department was building a new well for an African village. Their old well had run dry, leaving the village without a reliable source of clean water. I was unable to join the team traveling to Africa to build the well, but I really wanted to help however I could with the project.”

“Go on,” Ben encouraged as Rey paused to sip her water.

“I reviewed the well project to see where I might be able to contribute. What struck me was the cost of the drill bits, both to buy them and ship them, as well as how often they had to be replaced. That was a surprisingly large cost for a charitable project. I looked into why the costs were so high and found the drill bits quickly wore down, requiring frequent replacement. They were heavy, which increased the shipping cost. I decided to challenge myself by creating a drill bit that would last longer. I wasn’t sure if I’d be successful, but why not try? If I was unsuccessful, there was no harm, but if I succeeded, I would help lower the project costs. To my surprise, not only was I successful in creating a new drill bit that was more durable, it was also lighter saving the project money by reducing shipping costs and the number of drill bits required for project completion.”

“Who helped you with the drill bit project?” Ben asked, impressed an undergrad had succeeded with a project appropriate for doctoral research.

“Apart from professors answering my questions, no one.” Rey shared. “I did it on my own.”

“That’s impressive,” Ben commented, thinking aloud while he unconsciously circled the lip of his water glass with his pointer finger. “Tell me more about your capstone project.”

“The project!” Rey exclaimed, practically glowing as she smiled, trying not to be distracted by thoughts of what else his finger could circle. “It’s not that hard to design a robot that can traverse varied terrain. The hard part is designing a robot that can withstand the atmosphere and pressure on another planet while also gathering air, liquid, and solid samples.”

“So Boeing is funding your project that NASA wants to use?” Ben asked.

“Yes!” Rey confirmed with a proud smile. “Boeing is a big supporter and financial contributor to the mechanical engineering department. They want to expand the products they offer NASA, and I want to build a robot. Our interests converged on an unmanned robot that can roam other planets to collect air, liquid, and solid samples. It will also take video, but that’s simply incorporating technology used on prior NASA projects.”

“No other mechatronics students are working with you on it?”

“No, none of them were interested.” Rey explained, dismissing it as an issue of concern. “The other mechatronics students do not think there will be jobs working on NASA projects with so many problems on our own planet. My team includes another mechanical engineer as well as an electrical engineer, which is sufficient to cover the engineering work for the project.”

“Creating a new drill bit and designing a robot to roam on the surface of another planet,” Ben summarized her accomplishments, a pleased expression gracing his face. “You are full of surprises.”

Rey shrugged her shoulders before giving him a mischievous smile. “No one has ever called me boring. What are you working on as a postdoc?”

“My research is focused on big data analytics,” Ben shared, a flirtatious smirk curling his lips upwards.

“What exactly is that?” Rey asked, having heard the phrase but not understanding what it was.

Ben leaned back from the table, a smug look on his face. “What do you know about computer science, in general?” Before he explained big data analytics in terms she could understand, he first needed to know what she knew about computer science.

“It’s not required for mechanical engineering majors, binary means zeros and ones, it involves carpal tunnel from coding instead of dirty hands from building things,” Rey answered in a rush. It was no secret that outside of computer and electrical engineering, computer science courses were not required for engineering majors. She knew the basics of computer science. Being an engineering major and finances requiring her to work as many hours as possible precluded Rey from taking computer science classes, even though she wanted to learn at least one programming language. Alas, Rey learned at a young age that life is not always about what you want, but it is always about what you have to do.

Ben laughed before explaining, “Big data analytics is the analysis of large and varied data sets. I’m working on ways to maximize access to and search of multiple databases in a fraction of the time it currently takes.”

“Wow,” Rey replied, a little speechless. “That’s impressive. What are the practical applications of that?”

“Every business and government entity utilizes big data analytics, whether it’s to identify hidden patterns or trends. Government agencies can use it to predict future demand for services while businesses can analyze customer preferences to determine how to meet demand. Want me to explain more?” Ben sincerely asked, smiling warmly at her.

“Please, no,” Rey playfully replied, “I already feel strangely inadequate hearing what you’re working on. And that’s coming from someone working on a robot NASA wants to send to another planet!” They both laughed, then Ben leaned forward looking Rey directly in the eyes.

“Tell me one thing you’re thinking about that is not related to engineering or school,” Ben threw out to pass time while they waited for their food, wanting to know what mattered to Rey outside of academics.

“Okay,” Rey took the bait, offering him a flirtatious smile as she sat back in her chair, “but you’re sharing after me.”

“Challenge accepted,” Ben grinned, intrigued the college senior was not intimidated by him. Often quiet and prone to seriousness, which some found intimidating, Ben found himself laughing and wanting to talk to Rey.

“I am thinking about record-breaking heat waves and flooding that have devastated the Midwest over the last few years. The significant decrease in the crop yield and shortages at grocery stores throughout the country is worrisome.” Rey shared, wanting to see how he would react to her naming a major problem impacting the food supply throughout the US and other countries as well.

“Tell me more,” Ben prodded, genuinely intrigued and leaning in towards her. “Why are you thinking about that?”

“Multiple reasons,” Rey continued, leaning in towards Ben and narrowing the distance between them. “The floods are devastating for farmers, decreased food supply increases food prices, and the US will not be able to grow or import enough food to feed the population if this pattern continues, which less industrialized countries are currently struggling with. Rising temperatures are also causing problems. Europe lost one hundred thousand people in this year’s summer long heat wave, beating the previous record for heat wave deaths set in 2003. The world is getting hotter and people are dying.”

“I’m impressed a senior engineering student not only has time to stay up to date on current world events but also cares about the current and future impact.” Ben complimented her.

“It’s foolish not to care. It’s impacting many people throughout the world already, and those that aren’t presently impacted will soon be. Whether you call it chance or the grace of God, no one can control whether or not they are hurt by a natural disaster. I care for those impacted the same way I hope they would care if I were impacted instead of them.” Rey shared candidly.

“You’re quite practical.” Ben observed, trying not to let on how impressed he was with Rey’s awareness and understanding of events throughout the country and the world. That fact she sincerely cared about the people impacted only added to her allure.

“I learned long ago denial does not change reality and it is best to face things head-on, whether it’s struggling in a class or rising temperature and decreasing food supply.” Rey smiled at his compliment, before challenging him. “Now it’s your turn. Name one thing you are thinking about that is not related to computer science or engineering.”

“The precipitously low birth rate,” Ben immediately responded, continuing with why before she could ask or worse, think of any nefarious reason why he’d say that. “The US birth rate was already below replacement level for several decades before this latest crisis. Now it has dropped so low teachers and childcare workers are being laid off like factory workers replaced by technology. The declining population makes it impossible to replace retiring workers, which impacts public safety, infrastructure, and the medical system. Last year’s flu epidemic showed how critical things are. Over one hundred thousand preventable flu deaths from a lack of medical workers to care for the influenza victims on top of the regular hospital patient load.”

“You seem to care a lot about the birth rate,” Rey teased, curious about how he would react and inject some humor to keep their conversation from getting too serious for two people getting to know each other.

“I’ve had to change primary care doctors several times in recent years due to retirements.” Ben explained nonchalantly. “It takes me longer and longer to find a new one each time, and the wait times for an appointment have gone from same day to several weeks out at best. Thankfully, I am young and healthy. As the flu epidemic deaths showed, not everyone can wait for one of the limited medical workers to treat them without consequence.”

“Ah,” Rey teased. “It’s about the personal inconvenience for you.”

“No,” Ben replied honestly, before a big grin took over his face, “but I figured I may get more sympathy for my personal tribulations.”

Rey laughed, before teasing, “You have my utmost sympathy for the inconvenience of finding a new doctor and distraction from your big data analytics research. On a serious note, I’ve seen a few news stories on the low birth rate and related problems. It is concerning, especially if the trend of fewer births each year does not turn around.”

“I enjoy talking to you,” Ben noted after a pause, smiling at Rey. “I rarely enjoy talking to people, they do not usually have anything to say worth my time. But you do.”

Rey smiled back at Ben, part of her wishing this lunch could last until dinner. Not only was she spending time with a handsome young man who may share her interest, he was also highly intelligent and could carry on a conversation about both engineering and the current issues challenging political leaders. Before Rey could reply, their waiter arrived with their entrees. She silently rejoiced, her stomach had been growling since they left campus and she was worried Ben would hear and comment on it.

“Dig in, Rey,” Ben encouraged her as he unfolded his cloth napkin and carefully placed it on his lap, Rey mirroring his movements. “We can talk about the project later.”

Rey moaned as she tasted her first bite of pasta, a look of ecstasy on her face and her fork frozen in the air just beyond her lips. Her closed eyes missed how Ben’s mouth gaped open, eyes wide, and eyebrows high on his forehead when she moaned. He was grateful he avoided dropping the silverware he was holding. “This is so good! How did I not know about this place my first three years at the U?!?”

Ben chuckled, quickly composing his facial expression before Rey opened her eyes and her fork speared the next bite. “What’s important is now you do know about it. Just be careful not to tell too many people they serve the best Italian food in Seattle or we’ll never be able to get a table without making reservations.”

“It’ll be our little secret,” Rey assured him quickly, eager to take her next bite.

They continued talking sporadically while they ate lunch, taking advantage of the opportunity to get to know each other better. Ben limited the questions he asked, allowing Rey to set the pace of conversation so she could eat to her heart’s content. When she was nearly done eating, Rey felt torn between wanting to enjoy Ben’s company as long as possible while needing to study before her next class. Ben struggled not to stare at the most intriguing woman he’d spoken to in, well, she was the most intriguing woman he’d ever spoken to. While he longed to spend hours getting to know Rey better, they both had responsibilities on campus they needed to get back to.

“We should meet up within the next week to go over your project and how I can help.” Ben informed her as he softly set his silverware on his plate having finished his meal. He accepted he could not extend their brief sojourn from the academic halls much longer, even though he would happily watch her moan with each bite of pasta until the moon was high in the night sky. “I’m guessing you need to get back and study before your next class.”

“I do,” Rey reluctantly admitted, before continuing with a smile. “Thank you for lunch! This was very kind of you.”

“You’re very welcome, Rey,” Ben smiled sincerely. “I enjoy the pleasure of your company. When can we meet to discuss your project?”

“Tomorrow at two? Are you free then?” Rey proposed.

“Tomorrow at two it is,” Ben quickly accepted. “Are you done with lunch?”

Rey nodded as she swallowed her last bite, her fork lightly clattering against the plate as she set it down.

Ben stood up from their table, pulled her chair out from the table, and held his hand out to Rey. “Let me walk you back to campus.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this flashback to how Rey met Ben and life before the coup. Comments are appreciated, tell me what you think!
> 
> For those who are curious, below are links to the events Rey and Ben refer to when discussing what concerns them outside of academics.  
https://www.britannica.com/event/European-heat-wave-of-2003
> 
> https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/06/midwest-rain-climate-change-wrecking-corn-soy-crops/
> 
> https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/16/midwest-floods-llinois-farmers-give-up-on-planting-and-throw-party.html
> 
> https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/05/17/611898421/u-s-births-falls-to-30-year-low-sending-fertility-rate-to-a-record-low
> 
> https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/10/health/us-fertility-rate-replacement-cdc-study/index.html


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the rain pelted her uncovered head, Rey looked at the offered hand of the stranger in front of her, images of civilians being shot dead in the streets and women being rounded up and taken away running through her mind. Recognizing she had no real choice in the matter, Rey took his hand and stood up as the tears continued to tumble down her face and onto Elizabeth, who cried louder. Still clasping her hand, he whispered in her ear, “We will talk in private later. For now, follow my lead.”
> 
> Rey subtly nodded in acknowledgment as she struggled to comfort her daughter on her chest, the shock of her ex-boyfriend’s unexpected reappearance rendering her speechless. Ben placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her toward one of the black SUVs; Rey noted his domineering nature had not lessened since they last saw each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my amazing beta LostInQueue! Tags will be updated as more chapters are added. Plan is for weekly updates on Wednesdays moving forward, hoping the muse cooperates!

Present Day

As the rain pelted her uncovered head, Rey looked at the offered hand of the stranger in front of her, images of civilians being shot dead in the streets and women being rounded up and taken away running through her mind. Recognizing she had no real choice in the matter, Rey took his hand and stood up as the tears continued to tumble down her face and onto Elizabeth, who cried louder. Still clasping her hand, he whispered in her ear, “We will talk in private later. For now, follow my lead.”

Rey subtly nodded in acknowledgment as she struggled to comfort her daughter on her chest, the shock of her ex-boyfriend’s unexpected reappearance rendering her speechless. Ben placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her toward one of the black SUVs; Rey noted his domineering nature had not lessened since they last saw each other.

“Wait,” Rey whispered so only he could hear her as they approached the SUV, her protective maternal instincts kicking in. “Do you have an infant car seat in there?”

“No,” he softly replied, keeping their conversation between themselves as he realized why she asked. “You can wear her in the vehicle until we reach our destination. I assure you there is no risk of someone running into our vehicle.”

“Okay,” Rey responded uncertainly, still in shock from the day’s events, before Ben helped her into the back of the large SUV, the air conditioning a welcome respite from the summer humidity. He climbed in beside her and nodded at one of the men in black, who then shut the door and climbed into the front passenger seat. Once the doors were all shut, the SUV promptly pulled away from the park. Rey noted there was an identical SUV in front of them before a privacy shield went up and cut off her view through the front windshield.

Rey turned in her seat to face Ben and asked fearfully, “What now?”

“You saw the news earlier?” Ben asked as he reached out and held her hand.

“Yes,” Rey nodded. “I saw footage from DC and New York before the broadcasts stopped and the cell networks went down.”

“Good, then it comes as no surprise another group is in charge of the country.” Ben stated.

She stared at him, a little more fear creeping into her eyes, as she waited for the next shoe to drop. Rey pulled her hand from Ben’s grasp as she turned away from him and sank back into her cool leather seat, grappling with the reality her ex-boyfriend, and father of her daughter she thought was gone forever, was now right in front of her. She had not had time to consider where he had been and how he undoubtedly changed during their time apart. His sudden reappearance in her life combined with seeing the US government executed, New York bombed, and Seattle taken over by force was too much for her to take. Rey felt numb, able to ask questions but not thoroughly process the answers or feel any emotion.

Ben continued when Rey stayed silent. “The US government as you knew it is no more. Congress, the Supreme Court, even the President and Vice President, they are all gone. The line of succession is destroyed. The New Order is in control.”

“The New Order? The same group that campus guest speaker was with?” Rey asked, needing comfort and reassurance, not a detached explanation.

“Yes,” Ben answered. “The same group. That speaker is one of the leaders who helped make today possible.”

“Oh.” Rey replied softly, then asked the question that had been nagging her. “How exactly did you know where to look for me?”

“The apartment lease and utility bills are in your name,” Ben explained, again taking her hand into his much larger one. “I tried to find you at your apartment before Seattle was taken over, but things did not go according to plan. By the time I arrived at your apartment, you were gone.”

“Oh,” Rey nearly whispered. “How did you know to find me in Myrtle Edwards park?”

“That was a combination of having my people looking for you on the route I thought you’d take and cell phone data.” Ben shared before elaborating, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb while he spoke. “When you were not at your apartment, but your vehicle was, I checked security footage and saw you take the stairs. Knowing you, I figured you were scared and looking for the safest route out of the city with Elizabeth. I knew you would not risk crossing the main roads my people were using to get into Seattle, which left you with heading north. You would be scared, not knowing what is going on, trying to stay out of sight. As you could not do that heading into downtown or following any of the main arterials north, I figured you would head for the waterfront and follow that north. I deployed my available men accordingly while I waited for info on your cell phone’s location. It took longer than expected to acquire the GPS tracking data for your cell, an unexpected complication of today’s events. Once I had that, I immediately headed to where you were, or where your phone was.”

“That makes sense,” Rey acknowledged. “How did you know her name is Elizabeth?”

“Birth certificate,” Ben answered swiftly.

“Why were you looking at her birth certificate?” Rey asked quietly, trembling slightly and not from the air conditioning.

He sighed and closed his eyes. After taking a deep breath, Ben slowly opened them and looked straight into Rey’s eyes. “After we broke up, I devoted myself to the New Order. I used my research on big data analytics to help the New Order. I scoured every available data source and gathered information on which women were fertile. Six months ago, I came across your name on Elizabeth’s birth certificate. At first, I was in shock you had a child.” Anger seeped into the last sentence, and Ben paused to take a deep breath before continuing in an anguished tone. “I wanted to know who you had a child with, but no father was listed on the birth certificate. I then looked at the birth date, quickly did the math, and realized I was likely the father. I used my computer skills and the New Order’s connections to discreetly run a DNA test which confirmed she is mine. How I dreamed of having a family of you. Then I find out we do have a child together, only to have to live with the torment I was not with you both.”

“You knew Elizabeth was yours for six months?” Rey asked in disbelief, the torment in her eyes breaking Ben’s heart. “I don’t understand. If you wanted to be a father so badly, how could you stay away? For six months?!?”

“The New Order was in the middle of preparing for today.” Ben rationalized, grasping her hand tighter. “I wanted to come for you the second I found out Elizabeth is mine, but the Supreme Leader convinced me it was best to focus on our plans and claim you and our daughter today. He knows we were not married before and pointed out it would be easier to claim a fake civil marriage ceremony after the records were destroyed. Not a moment has passed since I found out that I haven’t thought of you and Elizabeth, that I haven’t wanted to claim you both as my family, to have you both with me.”

“Claim us?” Rey asked, aghast by what Ben’s words. “You claim _luggage,_ not your daughter!”

“Rey, no!” Ben quickly responded in horror. “I meant claim as in publicly acknowledge Elizabeth as my daughter since I’m not on the birth certificate! You and Elizabeth are my family, you two mean everything to me.”

“What does all this mean for me, for Elizabeth?” Rey asked softly, tears welling up in her eyes as she crouched forward, her arms protectively cradling her daughter who was once again asleep in the carrier. The stress of the day’s events overwhelmed her mind, Rey could not discern how Ben’s comments related to what was going on.

“What this means for you, for both of you, depends on whether you will stand by my side as my wife.” Ben calmly spoke, the juxtaposition of the day’s events with his tone not lost on Rey.

“Marriage?” Rey whispered, in shock and disbelief. “You disappeared from my life over a year ago, reappear without warning during a violent coup, and now you want to discuss marriage?”

“My bringing up marriage is not without precedent. I made it clear early on in our relationship I wanted to marry you, have a family with you; you said you were not ready. It is no secret there has been a fertility crisis in this country, throughout much of the world, for over a decade. The birthrate is disastrously low, far below what is necessary to sustain society. Women either cannot or will not have children.” Ben paused before fixing her with a hard look. “The same issues we fought about when we were together.”

*******

_“Let’s go see the speaker visiting campus tonight,” Ben suggested, then continued in a mock seriousness voice. “We can broaden our minds and worldviews beyond the realm of computer science and engineering. Take advantage of the full college experience, hear other viewpoints, challenge our preconceived notions.”_

_“Who is the speaker?” Rey asked, giggling softly at his serious voice as she settled into one of the chairs facing Ben’s desk in his tiny office._

_“Dr. Richard Pryde, the Texas Senator and retired Air Force major general. Flier said he is part of a new political group called the New Order. One of their platforms is addressing the current crises facing the US, and much of the world—low birthrate, declining crop production, everything that will threaten the survival of humanity if things do not improve. Basically, the issues of concern we’ve discussed and care about.”_

_“Gee, that sounds like a great way to relax and unwind,” Rey teased, propping her feet up on his desk and crossing her ankles._

_Ben laughed as he leaned back in his chair, or tried to given his height and the close confines of his office, enjoying the view of Rey’s bare legs on his desk. He said a silent prayer of thanks that she wore a short skirt. “Touché. Tonight’s campus speaker is not some mindless comedy on network TV that allows us to escape from the harsh reality we’re living in.” Sitting up and leaning in towards her, Ben grew serous. “Do we not owe it to society to be engaged and actively seeking to be part of the solution to the problems plaguing society and the world?” _

_“Do we not owe it to ourselves to occasionally engage in self-care so we are at our best as we already spend the majority of our time trying to find solutions to problems plaguing society?” Rey countered playfully._

_Ben seized on a key point Rey had not mentioned. “We spend the majority of our time solving social problems using our engineering and computer science skills. Dr. Pryde is challenging us to go beyond our academic fields and to fully engage as members of society.”_

_“Fully engage?” Rey asked skeptically, placing her feet on the floor and sitting up straight._

_“Yes,” Ben pushed, leaning across his desk towards her. “Fully engage as members of society. The fertility crisis, low birthrate, and declining crop yield impact every single one of us. As do a multitude of other issues, climate change and environmental disasters being at the forefront. We can, and are, doing our part to address the issues we can from the silos of our academic professions. But that is not enough. We have an obligation to utilize both our professional and personal lives to address the problems we’re facing.”_

_“If it means that much to you, I’m game.” Rey conceded, recognizing and respecting this meant a lot to Ben. _

_******_

_“Well,” Ben asked as he walked Rey back to her place after the event, their hands clasped together. “What did you think of the speaker?”_

_“He was…” Rey began uncomfortably, “not what I expected.”_

_“How so?” Ben inquired._

_“I did not expect on a liberal university campus in progressive Seattle to be told my obligation and greatest contribution to society is to get married and birth children,” Rey explained, a forlorn tone creeping in. “I did not expect extoling the virtues of a return to the 1950s view that women belong in the home and an education is wasted on them.”_

_“While I disagree with your claim Dr. Pryde argued an education is wasted on women, the facts and science on the declining birth rate is concerning,” Ben countered. “As men cannot have children, how else to improve the birth rate other than fertile women having more children?”_

_“It IS concerning the birth rate is so precipitously low, and I grieve for the women who want a child but cannot conceive,” Rey conceded._

_“But…” Ben encouraged her, knowing Rey was holding back what she thought._

_“But why does that mean I have to fix the problem, that I cannot pursue my education and a career? That I cannot contribute to society in other, equally important ways?” Rey implored him. “Why does being born with two X chromosomes take away my option to choose my future and predetermine my purpose is limited to reproducing?”_

_“Do you want children?” Ben asked with trepidation, concerned Rey was holding back her true concern and opposition to the speaker’s proposed solution._

_“Sure,” Rey dismissed, not catching on to Ben’s unspoken worry she did not want to have children. “Someday. It’s a little hard to think of having kids when I’m a starving undergrad primarily living off Top Ramen and tuna! Not to mention how expensive children are, especially if you live within Seattle! With my student loans, I do not know when I will be able to afford to have a child. Much less more than one.”_

_“You sound like you expect to be the sole breadwinner…” Ben noted, now wondering what in Rey’s past caused her so much anxiety over motherhood._

_Rey shrugged. “My dad left before I was born and my mom struggled to support me her entire life up until she died young, thrusting me into the foster care system.” Pausing to take a deep breath, Rey turned to look directly into Ben’s eyes as she continued in a shaking voice, “ I don’t ever want my child to be in that situation so yes, I do want to be able to support a child on my own. Just in case. One never knows what the future holds.”_

_Ben pulled Rey towards him and wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back as she nuzzled into his chest and a few tears fell from her eyes onto his shirt. When her breathing returned to normal, he interlaced their fingers and raised their clasped hands to kiss her hand. “What if you found a good man who would stand by you?” He asked while looking intently into her eyes. “I can support you and you would not have to worry about your student loans, or even working unless you wanted to. We could have as many children as you wanted.”_

_Rey paused, searching his eyes and realized he was making a genuine offer. “You really want children, don’t you?” Rey teased, with a gleam in her eye, before the moment got too serious._

_“I do want children, with you.” Ben swiftly replied, leaning down to give her a long kiss. “I also want to marry you, but you freak out less when I only mention having children.”_

_“What about enjoying life and being a couple before kids arrive?” Rey asked with a flirtatious smile, trying to inject levity into their suddenly serious conversation. “Why rush into a serious commitment like marriage when we can simply enjoy being together?”_

_Ben wrapped his arms around Rey’s waist, pressing her firmly against his body. “Rey, I fell in love with you weeks after we met, and I’ve only fallen deeper with each passing day. You are brilliant, compassionate, and down to earth. Icing on the cake is you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, and I only find you more beautiful as I get to know more about you. You are the only one I want to spend the rest of my life with, the only one I want to have children with. Why wait? Why not make it official?”_

_“Because I barely turned twenty-one and am a college senior?” Rey retorted with a laugh to lighten the mood, then kissed him to lessen any unintended sting from her words. “I love you, Ben, and I want to marry you, someday. But I’m too young to make any life-altering decisions right now.”_

*******

“You are a young woman, and you are fertile. Both Elizabeth’s existence and your blood work confirm that.” He continued softly, as though a soft tone of voice could make the cataclysmic events of the day easier to accept. “I am offering you the opportunity to stand by my side as my wife.”

Rey looked at him with dawning horror, taking in both the pleading look on his face and the harsh reality of society’s new structure. Not ready to make a life-changing decision right then and scared to ask what the alternative was but unwilling to not know, she cautiously asked, “What happens to the other fertile women who do not have this opportunity?”

Ben sighed. “If a woman is either unwilling or unfit for the honor of being a wife, then she will be a surrogate to a barren couple. She will carry the child for the wife who cannot.”

“In other words, forced surrogacy?” Rey barely whispered.

“No!” he harshly disputed her characterization. “For too long, society has been about each individual’s whims. Companies looking to get rich quick poisoned the soil contaminating the food supply and air, increasing the rate of global warming and all the disasters that has wrought. Birth control enabled an explosion of sexually transmitted infections causing infertility, and fertile women choosing not to have children so they can focus on their careers have resulted in a society on the verge of collapse. For the last fifty years, the birth rate has been so low society cannot continue to sustain itself. Fifty years, Rey! The only solution is to put the greater good of society at large ahead of the individual.”

“So surrogacy for the greater good?” she asked, recognizing nothing she said would cause Ben to acknowledge her perception differed from his.

“Surrogacy so the human race does not die off!” Ben vehemently countered.

“Is that why I saw women being rounded up at gunpoint earlier today?” Rey asked, both terrified by the prospect and relieved to finally know why only women were being targeted and taken away.

“Yes,” Ben honestly answered. “I am offering you the opportunity to stand by my side as my wife, to stay with Elizabeth, for us to be a family.”

“Stay with my daughter?” Rey asked in confusion. “I’m her mother, the only parent she’s ever known! The only parent listed on her birth certificate! Why wouldn’t I stay with my daughter?!?”

“In the New Order, men are the head of the household. Wives are dependents of their husbands. Daughters are dependents of their fathers until they take a husband.” Ben explained. “Elizabeth will stay with me; it is up to you whether you join us.”

“But I’m her mother! Why would you want to raise her alone, without me?” Rey asked.

“I would not raise her alone.” Ben told her softly, his honesty more brutal than any tone or volume could ever be. “I am too high in the New Order to be single; it is my duty to marry and father children. The only question is whether that is with you or someone else.”

Rey’s response died on her lips. She crouched even further forward, her daughter practically lying in her lap, already beaten by this New Order. There was a time Rey dreamed of marrying Ben, having a family with him. That was before he left her. Before she found out she was pregnant. Before she got a job and supported herself and her daughter entirely on her own. She had changed during their time apart; she was not sure how he had changed or who he was now. “So my choice as a fertile woman is either to bear your children or some stranger’s? I can either be a mother to my child and give her siblings or carry children for another woman to raise.”

“This is not the situation I wanted to present to you,” he told her sincerely, “but it is not about what I want, it is about the greater good for society at large.”

“The greater good for society at large?” Rey asked in disbelief. “What about what’s best for your _daughter_?”

“They are the same thing!” Ben replied, trying to keep his frustration in check. He had hoped Rey would quickly agree to his offer, instead he was in an unexpected debate with her. “The New Order’s priority is stability for children. A married mother and father raising their children with love. Why wouldn’t you want to be my wife and raise our daughter together?”

“Okay…you said a New Order is in charge. What does it mean to be a wife in this New Order?” she asked, trying to buy time before making a choice. Rey also recognized a fight she cannot win, too hardened from her childhood to risk fighting a losing battle when she must protect Elizabeth.

“First, this is being done to protect and cherish women as our most valuable asset. Without women, the entire human race dies out. Men may be necessary for conception, but it is women who bear, birth, and rear children. There is no greater contribution to society than that!” Ben fervently explained, believing the New Order’s party line on the issue. He also hoped Rey was coming around to his logic. Ben did not want to separate Rey from her daughter, or raise Elizabeth without her, but if she did not agree to be his wife, his hands were tied.

“The New Order is taking society back to its fundamental values and purpose: restoration of the family structure, focus on the public welfare for society at large rather than selfish individual pursuits. No longer will corporate greed control America while the average citizen goes bankrupt over the cost of healthcare, or politicians who protect the one percent at the expense of the vast majority.” Ben elaborates. “In the New Order, families will not be forced to limit the number of children they have due to the cost of raising a child or to forgo medical care they cannot afford. Every husband who works hard will be able to support his family, however many children God blesses him with.”

Rey nodded as she slouched back into the leather seat, noting he had not answered her question.

“The immediate concern is restoring the birth rate to a level that sustains society. In order to do that, fertile women will either become wives or surrogates. Some in the New Order wanted to call them handmaids, but they got out voted.” Ben continued.

“Why did they want to call them handmaids?” Rey asked.

“It’s for Genesis 30, when Rachel cannot bear children, she offers her handmaid to her husband to bear his children in her stead.” Ben explained.

“That sounds a lot like…” Rey observed.

“Exactly. That is why the majority voted to use the term surrogate. It serves no purpose to give the opposition another excuse to bring up that damn book!” Ben seethed.

“Why bring up religion in the New Order’s platform?”

“The Supreme Leader is wise, and he believes strongly in a Biblical foundation.” Ben answered. “Also, with the many natural disasters and crises society has faced, many were already turning to religion for comfort and solace. It’s a strategic move to integrate religion into the New Order so people have a sense of consistency and can find comfort in religion, which equates to comfort with the New Order being in charge.”

“Wait, in Genesis, Jacob had sex with his wife’s handmaid. Are you saying the Bible is being used to justify adultery?” Rey asked in horror.

“No!” he thundered, startling Elizabeth who quickly resettled and continued napping. “I am saying the Supreme Leader is wise! He believes in the Bible and in modern science! It will be up to each married couple to determine how they want their children conceived, either through medical technology or…some may choose the Biblical method.”

Rey stared blankly at him, hearing his words but not fully understanding them.

“Look,” he implored her, reaching out and grasping her hand again. “Compromises have to be made when bringing together millions and establishing common ground. It is for the greater good of society!”

“What role does the Bible play in all this?” Rey asked.

“The Bible is the moral foundation for the New Order—focus on the traditional family structure with a husband who provides and a wife who nurtures the children. No premarital or casual sex to stop the sexually transmitted infection crisis causing infertility.” Ben explained.

“No premarital sex?” She worriedly asked. “We had premarital sex; Elizabeth is proof of that. What does that mean for us, for her?”

“Actually,” Ben cautiously told her, “we were married before she was conceived. We had a civil ceremony at the courthouse, which was sadly destroyed along with all the records it contained, including our marriage license. Except for the digital record I created.”

“That may explain our fake marriage, but how are you going to explain my absence?” Rey asked sincerely.

“We have been estranged,” Ben promptly replied, grimacing on the last word, before pleading with her. “It is your choice whether to return to our marriage and act as my wife.”

Cocking her head to the side, Rey looked at him with utter confusion, his explanation too complex for her current state of mind.

“I can protect you and our daughter as your husband. I cannot protect either of you if we are unmarried. This is the only option.” Ben concluded, no longer trying to hide his desperation.

“What does it mean to be a wife in this New Order?” Rey implored him with fear in her eyes.

“Fertile wives are revered above all else. Their focus is on bearing, birthing, and rearing children; husbands and society at large support them in this.” Ben explained, hoping she would find comfort in better understanding the role he was offering her.

“What does that mean? Support wives how?” she pushed.

“Wives are supported by freeing them from all stress and distraction so they can focus on being mothers to their children and being a wife to their husband.” Ben quickly responded.

“What if a wife wants a career outside the home?” Rey asked.

With a heavy sigh, he continued, “Wives do not work outside the home. Allowing wives to focus on their homes and families without the distraction of outside employment removes a heavy burden from the load they were previously asked to carry.”

“Oh,” she sighed, looking down. “What happens to all the career women now?” Rey already accepted she would not be allowed to continue with hers and started to wonder if it would be easier to raise a child in the New Order without the distraction of a career. It certainly had not been easy for her to raise Elizabeth on her own while balancing her engineering career, no one to share the midnight diaper changes or 2am feedings often leaving her sleep deprived. Her desire for a career had been a sore spot between them when together, before the New Order and its prohibition on women working.

“Fertile women will have careers in the home. Infertile women who can serve society and the New Order will often be allowed to continue their careers, whether in their original field or a new one that meets society’s needs.” He replied, looking carefully at Rey as she stared at her feet.

“What if a wife wants to have a say in the formation and administration of this New Order?”

“Wives may share their concerns with their husbands who will consider all information they have when making decisions in their New Order role. However, wives do not work outside the home, they do not have careers, they are not directly involved with administration of the New Order. Wives focus on home and hearth, their children and their husbands.” Ben explained.

“What if a wife does not want to bear children?” Rey asked, wondering how much freedom this New Order allows women.

Ben’s eyebrows nearly hit his hairline in alarm. “A wife who is not willing to fulfill her duty and bear children would not be a wife. Nor would a wife who does not accept her role and respect the privilege she has.”

“What does that mean, ‘not be a wife’?” she pushed.

“A wife who does not respect her role as a wife, who wants to take on the role of men in the New Order, who does not want to bear children, would either come to accept her place or would have her marriage annulled for cause. She would be disgraced, lose her place in society, and all the privileges she previously had. If fertile, she would be tasked to serve as a surrogate. If not fertile, she would be assigned to support the New Order however her skills and abilities allow her to.” Ben elucidated.

“Annulled?” Rey asked in confusion.

“Yes, annulment,” Ben explained. “There is no divorce in the New Order. That goes against the Bible. Unless a marriage is annulled on Biblical grounds, marriage is for life.”

“What are grounds for an annulment in the New Order?” Rey asked.

“Infidelity, treason, failure to fulfill her duties.” Ben quickly rattled off. “A fertile wife either bears her husband’s children, or she would no longer be his wife. Refusal to fulfill one’s most sacred duty is grounds for annulment.”

“Wait, you keep emphasizing a wife’s duty to bear children. How does that work with the laws on marital rape?” she asked.

“There is no such thing as marital rape in the New Order,” he calmly told her with sadness in his voice. “A fertile woman is either a wife and therefore obligated legally and morally to bear her husband’s children, to support her husband, to maintain a happy home for her husband, or she is a surrogate. Surrogates are the legal property of the husband they serve; they can no more refuse their duty than a wife can under the law.”

“Support her husband? Maintain a happy home for her husband? Refuse her duty?” she questioned. “That sounds like a sex slave who’s responsible for housework.”

“It is not!” he quickly objected. “Wives of the leadership do not do housework, only the wives of those in the working class do that. Children do best in a happy home where both parents get along and preferably love each other. It is important for the wife to do her part to create the optimal home for her children and remove any stress or distraction so her husband can focus on his duty to the New Order.”

“What’s to stop a husband from being a total ass and kicking his wife to the curb if she doesn’t put out often enough?” she challenged him.

Ben sighed. “There is a fertility crisis. Fertile women of suitable standing are in short supply, there is a lot of competition to earn the privilege of having a wife. A husband who does not honor and respect his wife will not be tolerated in the New Order. There are too many suitable men within the New Order hierarchy who want a fertile wife and do not have one. They will not tolerate their peers disrespecting the honor and privilege of having a fertile wife when they are not so fortunate.”

“How does that work with making marital rape legal? A husband may not kick his wife to curb, but what’s to stop men from forcing their wives to have sex against their will?” she retorted.

“A wife cannot refuse her duty to carry her husband’s children, but a husband cannot beat his wife.” Ben clarified. “Besides, there are too many single men who want a fertile wife that would not tolerate a husband disrespecting the honor and privilege of having a fertile wife by beating her.”

“I’m not talking about physical abuse,” Rey persisted. “What is to stop a husband from forcing his wife to have sex against her will?”

Ben again sighed, whether it was from annoyance at her or the situation, Rey was not sure. “A wife who refuses her husband is failing to fulfill her duties as a wife. If a fuss were made about it, she would be the one in trouble for not fulfilling her duty.”

“What’s to stop women from taking the pill or using an IUD to prevent pregnancy?” Rey asked.

“Any unmarried woman will be tested to determine fertility and, if fertile and appropriate, any implanted contraception will be removed before becoming a wife or handmaid.” Ben expounded. “Other forms of birth control are expressly prohibited and no longer available within the New Order, except under very limited circumstances that directly relate to fertility such as taking the pill for egg retrieval as part of fertility treatment.”

“And how do you plan to manage that, testing women for fertility without telling them?” Rey continued.

“It’s part of the universal healthcare system the New Order is implementing, physicals for everyone due to the loss of health records in the regime change.” Ben calmly states.

“That…actually makes sense,” she conceded. “I’m going to read between the lines and guess most won’t be told the full purpose of the physicals, they’ll just be grateful they never have to worry about paying for healthcare again.”

He nodded, pleased to see she was coming around.

“What happens to infertile women, or fertile women found to be ‘inappropriate’ in your words to be a wife or surrogate?” Rey asked.

“If a woman cannot, or will not, serve the New Order by bearing and birthing children, she will serve the New Order with the abilities and skills she possesses. Infertile women may be allowed to work outside the home, so long as it supports society and the New Order’s goals. They could be a midwife or nurse, for example. Some who have the proper discipline and disposition will be given the honor of serving in the homes of the leaders. Others will work in less skilled and less prestigious positions,” Ben elucidated.

“For those lucky enough to be a wife, what do they do besides have babies and raise them? The New Order cut all television broadcasts, the internet, even the radio.” Rey asked, blurting out whatever disjointed concern was at the forefront of her mind as she struggled to process the day’s events and what exactly Ben was offering her.

“The internet, television, even magazines are distractions, and can even be bad influences. Wives focus on home and hearth; everything to support that goal is available to them but nothing that distracts them from their purpose.” Ben replied, a little surprised by her change of topic.

“So I can read a book on proper parenting or the Bible, but not Fifty Shades of Grey?” she asked, trying to get specifics about life in the New Order.

“Yes,” he quickly agreed, “Fifty Shades of Grey is prohibited for women, as is Cosmopolitan and magazines of that ilk. A magazine like Good Housekeeping or Parents may be allowed, it’s the supreme leader’s decision.”

Rey raised an eyebrow at that. “You liked the Fifty Shades movies. You’re giving those up?”

“I am a man,” Ben pointed out. “As one of the leaders in the New Order, I have greater autonomy as to what I do in the privacy of my own home so long as I set a good example in public. As my wife, you’d also have certain luxuries that would otherwise be unavailable.”

Rey nodded in acknowledgement before continuing. “Tell me more about this New Order and what it means to live in it.”

“First, religion is the core of the New Order. No more will women, or men for that matter, be allowed to run around scantily clad. Modesty is required whenever in public. To reinforce the common values, Sunday church services are mandatory. Those who do not conform to the new social norms will find there is no place in the cities for them. Man or woman, they will have limited options and many unpalatable. They can work the coal mines, logging camps, agriculture work—the hard labor few want to do, and even fewer do by choice but are all essential to society. Even those who do not want to be part of society will have to do their part to support society.”

“What does this mean for prisoners? Political dissidents?” she asked.

“There is no place in the New Order for either criminals or political dissidents.” Ben answered.

“Oh,” she acknowledged with sadness, looking down at her feet, understanding what went unsaid.

“This is not the situation I wanted to present to you,” he told her sincerely. “But it is not about what I want, it is about the greater good for society at large.”

“And how many people are in this ‘society at large,’ after today?” she asked, looking Ben in the eye while noting he sounded like a true believer in the New Order’s ideology.

“There are no political dissidents or prisoners in the New Order. Society at large consists of all those willing to be a part of and contribute to the society the New Order is creating.” He softly stated, Rey noting the significance of what he does not say.

Ben was not surprised by her questions; he was surprised the woman who created a new drill bit and built a robot for NASA was asking general questions and not far more detailed ones. Then again, Ben realized, Rey always could read between the lines and did not waste her energy on things beyond her control.

“How does this religious focus of the New Order work with all the different religions and denominations?” she asked, acting like the Rey he fell in love with, pushing for as much information as she could get without causing waves.

“From this point forward, there is one Christian denomination allowed in the New Order. All the other denominations and religions—Judaism, Islam, Mormons, Catholics, Baptists, etc.—no longer exist.” Rey looked at him with growing horror in her eyes as he continued. “Everyone can convert or face the consequences. Similar to when King Henry VIII declared himself the head of the church in England instead of the pope.” Seeing her horrified look and knowing her unspoken question, he carried on. “For those who refuse to convert, some may be still be utilized as surrogates or hard labor to serve the New Order, others may be deemed political dissidents.”

“Wait,” she stopped him, “how can someone who refuses to convert still be a surrogate? I thought surrogates had to support the New Order.”

“Only the ones who serve in the home of the leadership. Others may still be used as gestational carriers or egg donors.” Ben clarified.

“Well,” she sarcastically added, “I guess the New Order doesn’t share the Catholic church’s disdain for medical intervention in procreation.”

“No,” he acknowledged, with a hint of sadness. “The birth rate is so low there is no longer the luxury of limiting children to the genetic offspring of a married husband and wife. With so few fertile women, there is no choice but to utilize every fertile woman, even if it is to harvest her eggs, to bring the birth rate up to a level that will sustain society.”

Elizabeth picked that moment to remind her parents of her existence. Rather than cry or dirty her diaper, Elizabeth squirmed in her carrier to face her father. While he stared at her transfixed, Rey watched silently as Elizabeth reached out an arm. Ben cautiously extended his hand, and Elizabeth grabbed onto his pointer finger. Ben leaned forward as Elizabeth brought his finger to her mouth to gnaw on, a big smile on her face and soft giggles escaping her mouth at her newest find. Rey kept her eyes on Ben, who continued to stare breathlessly in wonder at his baby daughter.

“She’s perfect,” he breathed, barely loud enough for Rey to hear, the reverance in his voice melting any remaining resistance in her heart.

Rey considered everything Ben had shared with her, likely more than the Supreme Leader would approve of given the role of women in the New Order. She may not like the society the New Order was building or believe in their ideology, but her engineering side had thoroughly analyzed the situation and she could not come up with a single option that offered even a small chance of successfully escaping from the New Order. For better or worse, she was trapped in the New Order for the foreseeable future, if not the rest of her life. Rey knew she would have to make her decision shortly, not that she has any choice when only one option involved staying with her daughter.

******

After the car ride came to an end, Ben hustled Rey and their daughter from the dark garage into the residence. Between the dark night sky, strangely devoid of the usual city lights, and the dark windows that do not allow her to see outside, Rey was not sure in which neighborhood they finally stopped in. Their vehicle managed to mute all outside noises. Or maybe they were no outside noises, Rey thought. With the lack of sensory input, Rey was at a loss for where she had been taken.

Ben led her to a large kitchen that opened into a family room and sent their security detail, at least in Rey’s mind that’s how she thought of them, to guard the exterior. He turned to Rey, her arms still clutching their sleeping daughter in the baby carrier. “We need to finish our conversation.”

Rey, still stunned from the day’s events and her ex-boyfriend’s re-emergence from the oblivion he had disappeared into, silently nodded and sat on a bar stool at the kitchen’s breakfast bar.

Ben sighed and nervously ran a hand through his thick hair, a trait she used to find sexy. “Do you understand the role of surrogates?”

“Yes,” Rey replied, in a monotone, “Fertile women are forced to bear the children of strangers against their will.”

Ben scowled, before responding with irritation, “That is NOT the role of a surrogate. For crying out loud! This is about preserving the human race before it turns into Children of Men!”

At her blank expression, Ben sighed and elaborated in a rush. “The movie about a future where no women can get pregnant and the human race is dying out. THAT is what the New Order is trying to prevent!”

“How is that any better for women?” Rey asked softly without any emotion.

Ben, noting her tone did not make sense, turned and really looked at her for the first time under the bright indoor lights. Rey had always been pale, but now she looked pale enough to faint at any moment. Her eyes, always full of life, were uncharacteristically flat and vacant. This was not the Rey he knew and loved. Worse, Ben knew Rey had not turned into this shell of herself because of their break-up or even the stress of raising an infant alone. The stress of today caused this, and by extension due to his role, he was responsible.

“Rey,” he asked with sincere concern. “Are you okay?”

“Okay?” Rey questioned in a hollow voice. “Yesterday, I was a mechanical engineer and single mother. Now, I no longer have a career and can either be your wife or serve as a surrogate to other men. How could I be okay?”

Ben’s heart nearly broke at the complete absence of hope in Rey’s voice. All he wanted was to make things better with Rey, yet he feared he had made things much worse. Wrapping her up in the strongest hug possible with Elizabeth in the carrier, Ben leaned forward and whispered in her ear. “Say you choose me, to be with me, and you never have to worry about what will happen to you or Elizabeth. Please, just say yes and let me protect you both. _Please.”_

“Now?” Rey whispered. “I have to decide now?” She had endured more life-changing events in one day than most did in a lifetime. Rey had not had a chance to catch her breath, much less process the ramifications of today’s events, and yet she had to make a life-altering decision when she was in no condition to decide something as trivial as what to eat.

“I am sorry, Rey,” Ben nearly cried from seeing Rey broken. “But yes, you have to decide. Now. Do you want to stay with me and Elizabeth, or do you want…?”

“Okay,” Rey conceded quietly, “I choose you, you and Elizabeth.” She had never stopped loving Ben, regardless of what name he went by now, or gave up on the dream they would one day be a family. He may have offered her the choice between being a family or being a surrogate, but she was never going to choose another man over him. She hoped he was still the man she loved, and she would not come to rue this choice.

In another life, she might have slapped him for practically kidnapping her and their daughter, for presenting her with options when they both knew she did not have a choice. But in this life, she knew she had to make the best of the few choices available to her.

“Thank you,” Ben breathed, one traitorous tear leaking from the corner of his eye and dropping into her hair, as he struggled not to be overwhelmed by the emotion of having Rey agree to be his wife and meeting his daughter. “You have had a stressful day. Let me put you to bed.”

With a barely perceptible nod of her head, Ben led Rey upstairs to her bedroom for the night. Or her cell. Rey was not sure whether this residence would be her paradise or prison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this continuation from Chapter 1! Comments are appreciated, I love to know what people think of this story!

**Author's Note:**

> The first chapter was inspired by a nightmare I had about being trapped in Seattle when there is an attack, not knowing what is going on, and trying to escape with a young child. It reminded me of The Handmaid's Tale and how it might have felt when the country was taken over. Comments are appreciated!


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